Container for incremental withdraw of tubular plastic



United States Patent Inventor John R. Couper 6575 Federal Blvd., Denver, Colorado 80221 Appl. No. 799,617

Filed Feb. 17, 1969 Patented Oct. 27, 1970 CONTAINER FOR INCREMENTAL WITHDRAW OF TUBULAR PLASTIC 7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 206/56 Int. Cl B65d 83/00 Field of Search 206/ 59( A), 59(B), 56(A4), 59(M), 52(W); 248/95: 53/390. 197. 29

I I0 I '20 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,908,123 10/1959 Muller et a1. 53/390 2,989,828 6/1961 Warp 53/390 3,390,844 7/1968 Dillow et a1. 29/59(B)UX Primary ExaminerWilliam T. Dixson, Jr. An0rneyRichard D. Law

Patented vOct. 27, 1970 7 3,536,192

BYE

' l FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

Y John Couper ATTORNEY CONTAINER FOR INCREMENTAL WITHDRAW F TUBULAR PLASTIC In my copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 585,093, filed October 7, 1966 there is described a portable waste dispenser which utilizes tubular plastic stock for periodic disposition of waste. The disposer provides means for temporarily sealing the tube along its width at spaced points for receiving the periodic portions of waste and then presenting a clean section of tube for each subsequent disposal. in one form, the disposer is the portable toilet, wherein the tubular stock is placed in an annular receptacle beneath the seat of the toilet and a mechanism in the toilet on flushing pulls an incremental amount of the tubular stock from the receptacle through the toilet into a bottom container.

The device of the present invention provides a simple container for supplying a stock of tubular material, particularly for the regular incremental withdraw of the tubular material from an inner opening of the annularly held stock. The arrangement is in effect a disposable cartridge for tubular stock, and it provides means for inducing a tensioned withdraw of the stock through the inner opening of an annular container, whereby the material may be pulled out of the annular material and down centerally through the annular container.

Included among the objects and advantages of the present invention it is a disposable type cartridge for plastic, tubular material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container for tubular plastic material which includes an annular receptacle for the tubular stock and means for tensioned withdraw ofthe tubular material through an inner annular opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple container of annular configuration for holding a supply of plastic, tubular material and which includes means for a tensioned withdraw of the plastic material from the container while retaining the remainder of the plastic tubular stock in the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide an annular container for plastic, tubular stock which may be generally fan-folded in the annular container for the incremental withdraw of the tubular stock from an inner, annular opening on the container.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention may be readily ascertained by referring to the following description and appended illustrations in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention, illustrating the withdrawal of plastic, tubular stock from a container according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, in section, of a container with its tubular stock therein; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the outlet of one side of an annular container for plastic tubular stock, showing a retaining cover and means for the tensioned withdraw of tubular stock from the container.

In the device selected for illustration, an annular container, shown in general by numeral 10, includes an outer wall 12 and an inner wall 20, of generally tubular configuration, with a slightly divergent top 14. An outwardly extending flange l6 depends peripherally of the top of outer wall 12. A bottom closure wall 18 is preferably integral with wall 12 and inner wall 20. The inner wall 20 terminates in an inwardly directed flange 22 at its top. The walls 12 and 20 flare outwardly from the bottom 18 to the top forming an enlarged opening 24. In one form, the walls, flanges and bottom are formed of a single piece of light plastic stock, which is rigid enough to support itself in its annular configuration and contain the tubular stock. The container should be thin so as to be inexpensive and a throw-away item.

An annular top cover 26 is secured to the outer flange 16 by suitable means, and extends over the inner flange 22 but is not attached thereto. The cover 26 is an annular member provided with an inner concentric opening 31 of approximately the same diameter as the opening of the flange 22. The cover 26 is made of sufficient ri id material to seat tightly on the flange 22 when secured to t e outer flange 16. W en made of cardboard or similar materials fasteners 30 are secured around the edge of the unit to secure the cover. When made of plastic it may be cemented or heat sealed in place. The cardboard cover 26 should be a stiff cardboard but which is flexible enough to permit the plastic material to pass through the opening between flange 22 and the inner portion of the cover 31, but provide a holding effect on the plastic material. Tubular material 40 is fan-folded in the annular receptacle with its end 41 pulled through the opening over the flange 22 and downwardly into the center of the annular receptacle. For use, a knot 42 is tied in the end of the tube sealing the same. The tubular stock may be pulled by incremental portions from the receptacle, the cover 26 pressing on it sufficiently to provide a tensioned withdraw of the stock and, also, hold the fan-folded portions in the receptacle.

The receptacle, as pointed out above, may be made of rigid, thin plastic sheet as by the draw-die method, paper stock molded in the correct configuration, plastic injection molded, or any suitable method. The cover may be stiff cardboard stock or it may, also, be a stiff plastic stock which is suffieiently rigid and stiff to exert a pressure on the plastic tubular material passing through the inner opening and provide tension on the tubular stock for its withdraw from the receptacle. Where the container is arranged for reuse it may be made of materials such as thin metal or the like.

I claim:

1. A container for holding a supply of plastic, tubular stock for the incremental withdrawal of portions thereof, comprising an annular receptacle having inner and outer generally tubular walls; and annular, axially aligned open top on one edge of said walls and a closed annular bottom on the opposite edge of said walls; a flange depending generally radially outwardly from the top edge of said outer wall; a cover over said open top and said cover being essentially rigid; and means securing said cover to said flange leaving an unsealed annular egress from said container from the inner edge of thereof, and said cover arranged to exert pressure on tubular stock being withdrawn from said container.

2. A container according to claim I wherein said walls diverge from the bottom to top of said container.

3. A container according to claim 1 wherein said walls and bottom are integral.

4. A container according to claim 1 wherein said inner wall has an inwardly directed radial flange, and said cover extends thereover.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein said cover is secured by fasteners to said flange on said outer wall.

6. A container according to claim 1 wherein said cover is cemented to said flange on said outer wall.

7. A container according to claim 1 wherein said cover is plastic and said flange is plastic and are secured together by heat sealing. 

